SANTA ROSA, N.M. – A California man wanted on a murder warrant was arrested Thursday morning after New Mexico State Police and the Santa Rosa Police Department carried out a coordinated high-risk traffic stop on Interstate 40 in eastern New Mexico.
According to New Mexico State Police, officers in District 9 received information at approximately 6:30 a.m. on July 16 that 27-year-old Raymond Garcia, who was wanted for murder in San Bernardino, California, was traveling westbound on Interstate 40 in a commercial motor vehicle. Authorities said Garcia was considered armed and extremely dangerous.
Investigators in California tracked Garcia’s location while relaying updates to New Mexico officers. State Police located the truck traveling near mile marker 298 and, with assistance from the Santa Rosa Police Department, conducted a felony stop near mile marker 276 in De Baca County.
Because of the potential danger, westbound Interstate 40 was temporarily closed during the operation to protect motorists and responding officers.
The truck’s driver complied with officers’ commands, exited the vehicle, and was detained while investigators confirmed Garcia was the co-driver and remained asleep in the sleeper compartment.
Garcia refused repeated commands to exit the truck and barricaded himself inside the cab. After continued negotiations, he eventually showed his hands through the driver’s side window, exited the vehicle, and surrendered without incident.
Garcia was taken into custody and booked into the De Baca County Detention Center on the California murder warrant.
New Mexico State Police credited the successful arrest to the coordination and teamwork between state and local law enforcement agencies, saying the operation safely brought a dangerous fugitive into custody while minimizing the risk to the public.
By: John Krehbiel – Bravo Mic Communications, LLC – john@bravomic.com
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